GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Donkeys and mules have become increasingly important as a means of transportation in Gaza, with the Israeli-Egyptian blockade creating a worsening fuel crisis affecting all aspects of daily life. Just how important was made clear at a press conference near the al-Yarmouk dump on Nov. 24, when Minister of Local Government Mohammed al-Farra announced that all garbage trucks had ceased operating and added, “The government has deducted [money] from the salaries of employees to hire 430 workers to collect waste off the streets of Gaza by means of animal carts.”
Livestock had also played a role earlier in the blockade, helping ease transportation woes and the cultivation of crops after tilling machines became unusable. Fawzy al-Agha recalls those days. “When the 2008 blockade intensified, anyone who owned a donkey was seen as lucky. Vehicles were no longer functional as fuel became scarce. The price of donkeys skyrocketed, reaching more than $1,000,” he told Al-Monitor. “I dread that this scenario might be repeated. It would be a disaster.”
